Aerosol valve having swirl chamber



March 18, 1969 R. A. EVESQUE 3,433,419

AEROSOL VALVE HAVING SWIRL CHAMBER Fi1ed Sept. 13, 1965 INVEN 48 ROGER A. EVE E BY HIHL stnML 5O 41- ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,433,419 AEROSOL VALVE HAVING SWIRL CHAMBER Roger A. Evesque, Cary, 11]., assignor to Seaquist Valve Company, a division of Pittsburgh Railways Co., Cary, 111., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,980 US. Cl. 239-470 Int. Cl. Bb 1/34, 1/30 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in general to aerosol valves and in particular to mechanical breakup devices for aerosol valves and to such valves, in general.

Valves for aerosol cans generally comprise a valve body with a spring biased valve stem therein which reciprocates within the body.

The valve stem may, as illustrated in US. Patent No. 3,085,753, issued Apr. 16, 1963, be hollow with a closed bottom end and a discharge port on its side wall. Sealing means normally seal the port until the valve is actuated by repressing the hollow stem into the valve body.

The valve stem may also, as illustrated in US. Patent No. 2,841,443, issued July 1, 1958, be a solid inverted mushroom head and a lower surface of the value body. Thus as the stem is depressed into the valve body, the seal between the mushroom head and the body is broken causing release of the contents of the can.

In both structures, the contents are released through an external tubeeither the hollow valve stem itself or a separate dispensing tube which surrounds the upper portion of the mushroom type valve stem. A valve button or an actuator is usually mounted on this external tube to direct the dispensed product.

It has been found that the shape of the terminal orifice therein as well as the flow pattern of the dispensed product governs the spray pattern that is ejected. The trade has devised all types of buttons to alter the spray pattern. One of them is popularly known as a mechanical breakup button wherein a centrifugal force is imparted to the stream being dispensed prior to its release through the terminal orifice. This centrifugal force acts to mechanically break up the stream as it is ejected, hence the term mechanical breakup button.

Mechanical breakup buttons which are presently available are generally complex in construction and are therefore relatively expensive to manufacture. For example, some of the available buttons have intricate channels formed in them to cause the product to swirl and thereby be broken up. Others, in addition to having intricate channels formed in them, have specially designed inserts for further breaking up the product. Since they are generally of a complex construction, they are primarily used only with products which must be finely broken up. For certain products, such as starch, room deodorants, insect sprays and the like, lesser breakup can be used, but thus far, no one has devised a cheaper satisfactory substitute.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical breakup aerosol valve which is simple in construction and provides a sufiicient degree of breakup for products of the above mentioned types.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanical breakup aerosol valve which is relatively inexpensive, in comparison to those presently available.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The mechanical breakup aerosol valve of the present invention generally comprises a valve button or actuator having formed therein an oval shaped swirl chamber, a valve stem cavity which extends to and through the swirl chamber and a terminal orifice which extends into the swirl chamber. The valve stem of the aerosol valve extends through the swirl chamber and its top end is seated against the top of the valve stem cavity. A number of holes and/ or slots are formed in the valve stem, at positions which expel the product into the swirl chamber. The expelled product, upon striking the walls of the swirl chamber, is substantially broken up and is caused to swirl about the swirl chamber and out the terminal orifice. The resulting degree of breakup of the product is satisfactory for use with products, such as starch, room deodorants, insect sprays and the like, and the aerosol valve of the present invention therefore provides a relatively simple and inexpensive substitute for the more complex and expensive aerosol valves used with products of this type, in the past.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indi cated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the valve stem of the aerosol valve of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the valve stem of FIG.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a valve button exemplary of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the valve button of FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the valve button, taken along lines 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a complete aerosol valve, exemplary of the present invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout several views of the drawings.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a valve stem 10 is shown which may be of the standard hollow type having formed therein a cylindrical shaped cavity 12 and a dispensing orifice 14 which extends through the wall thereof and into the cavity 12. The lower end of the valve stem 10 is solid, and its base is cone shaped to provide a seat for valve stem baising means which is preferably a helical spring, such as the spring 30 shown in FIG. 6. The major difference between the valve stem 10 and a standard hollow valve stem is the holes, such as the holes 16, formed in the valve stem near its top and in spaced relationship about it. In practice, the holes 16a (or slots) 16b may be spaced as desired, but the valve button 18, described below, must be positioned on the valve stem 10 so that the product expelled from the holes 16 is not expelled directly into the terminal orifice 28 formed in the valve button.

The valve button 18 shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, has a generally oval shaped swirl chamber 20 formed therein, and a valve stem receiving cavity 22 which extends to and through the swirl chamber 20, thereby providing a seat 24 for the top end of a valve stem. A semi-spherical shaped recess 26 is formed in the exterior surface of the valve button 18, and a terminal orifice 28 extends from the recess 26 into the swirl chamber 20.

The top surface of the valve button 18 is preferably slightly tapered and has formed therein a number of grooves 32 and a recess arrowhead 34 which indicates the position of the terminal orifice 28.

In FIG. 6, a complete aerosol valve 36, with the mechanical breakup button of this invention affixed thereto is shown in detail. The aerosol valve 36 generally includes a tubular valve body 38 which is fixedly secured within a turret 40 of a mounting cup 42, by crimping the turret 40, at 44. The valve stem 10 extends through the top of the turret 40, and is biased in a raised position by means of the spring 30 disposed beneath the valve stem 10 within the valve body 38. A sealing means generally in the form of a resilient washer 46 is disposed above the valve stem 10, and seals the dispensing orifice 14 of the valve stem when it is in its normally raised position. The valve body 38 also has a dip tube attachment tail 48, for a dip tube 50 which is secured to it and extends into the can.

The valve button 18 is affixed to the aerosol valve, by slipping the valve stem 10 into the valve stem receiving cavity 22 formed in it. For this reason, the cavity 22 is preferably sufficiently smaller in diameter than the valve stem so that the valve stem is, to a degree, forcefitted into the cavity 22. It may be observed that the top end of the valve stem 10 is fitted within the seat 24 above the swirl chamber 20, so that its end is effectively blocked.

When the valve is actuated by depressing the valve stem 10, the product passes from the can, through the valve body 38, the dispensing orifice 14 and into the cavity 12 of the valve stem 10. Since the cavity 12 is etfectively blocked, the product within the valve stem cavity must pass out of the holes 16, into the swirl chamber 20. Upon being expelled throught he holes 16, the product is impinged against the walls of the swirl chamber and broken up. Also, since the walls of the swirl chamber have a curvature, the product is caused to swirl, or flow, about the swirl chamber and out of the terminal orifice 28. When used with starches or other types of products described above, the breakup is sufiicient to provide satisfactory operation of the aerosol valve.

The valve button 18 can be molded of plastic, or a similar material, and the swirl chamber 20 and the valve stem receiving cavity 22 can be easily formed therein using a simple mandrel die. Also, it is apparent that the holes 16 (or slots) can be easily formed in the valve stem 10, so that the cost of manufacturing the described valve is relatively inexpensive when compared with the prior valves.

While the description has referred to a valve button it should be understood that the structure therein could just as easily be incorporated into an actuator.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A mechanical breakup aerosol valve comprising, in combination: a valve having a valve body, a hollow open top tubular valve stem having a dispensing orifice formed therein which extends into the interior cavity of the valve stem, said valve stem being retained within said valve body and adapted to be reciprocally operated, sealing means normally sealing said orifice; and a valve button secured about the upper end of said valve stem, said valve button having formed therein a swirl chamber surrounding said upper end of said valve stem, said hollow open top valve stem being blocked at its upper end and a terminal orifice extending into said swirl chamber, said valve stem having a plurality of holes formed therein which extend into said swirl chamber, whereby a product within said valve stem is expelled through said orifice means, impinged against the walls of said swirl chamber and caused to flow about said swirl chamber and out said terminal orifice.

2. A mechanical breakup aerosol valve comprising, in combination: a valve having a valve body, a hollow open top tubular valve stem having a dispensing orifice formed therein which extends into the interior cavity of the valve stem, said valve stem being retained within said valve body and adapted to be reciprocally operated, sealing means normally sealing said orifice; and an actuator secured about the upper end of said valve stem, said actuator having formed therein a swirl chamber surrounding said upper end of said valve stem, said hollow open top valve stem being blocked at its upper end, and a terminal orifice extending into said swirl chamber, said valve stem having a plurality of holes formed therein which extend into swirl chamber, whereby a product within said valve stem is expelled through said holes, impinged against the walls of said swirl chamber, and caused to flow about said swirl chamber and out said terminal orifice.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,981 5/1961 Bretz 239-468 X 2,806,739 9/1957 Drell 239-579 X 2,887,273 5/ 1959 Anderson et al.

3,075,708 1/ 1963 Coop-rider 239-490 3,195,787 7/1965 Kitabayashi 239-579 3,226,040 12/1965 Briechle et al. 239-492 X 3,292,827 12/1966 Frangos 239579 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

HOWARD NATTER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent NO. 3 ,433,4l9 March 18, 1969 Roger A. Evesque appears in the above identified It is certified that error tent are hereby corrected as patent and that said Letters Pa shown below:

Column 1, line 33, "repressing should read depressing line 36,

"value should read valve Column 3, line 33, "throught he" should read through the Signed and sealed this 31st day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

